The operation of vehicles, especially at high rates of speed, can often times be dangerous to the user and other vehicles in the vicinity, especially in inclement weather conditions, when the vehicle does not remain in the lane of traffic. Such problems are particularly aggravated when there are large vehicles, such as recreational vehicles and large trucks which can veer inadvertently over into an adjacent lane of oncoming traffic. Also, it could cause severe injuries and damage to the vehicle by the vehicle veering in the opposite direction off of the roadway and onto a shoulder or other road hazard.
Furthermore, all drivers of motor vehicles other than motorcycles experience a certain degree of uncertainty about exactly how far the passenger side of their vehicle will be from objects on that side of the road as they pass by them. With experience their margin of uncertainty and/or error decreases. In the case of wide vehicles such as trucks or motor homes, the inability to judge this distance in advance can lead to disaster or at the very least extreme nervousness even for an experienced driver. To some lesser degree this same problem occurs with the driver's side. In many other large vehicles, knowing exactly where the sides of the vehicle are can also be a problem for the driver.
Still further, drivers inexperienced in handling recreational type vehicles and other large vehicles encounter considerable difficulty in maintaining the vehicle centered in the lane in which it is driven. Since most of these vehicles are much longer and wider than automobiles, the vision of the driver is blocked to the rear and there is much greater likelihood for steering error than in the case of automobiles. It is presently necessary for the driver to rather frequently check the outboard rear view mirrors to see that the vehicle is remaining within its lane, and this distracts from the driver's concentration on the road ahead.
In view of the increasing extent to which large vehicles such as motor homes, “campers,” and the like are being driven by persons inexperienced in handling vehicles of this size, serious safety problems have arisen and have increased rapidly in recent years. There is a tendency for nearly all new drivers to occasionally drive off the road and onto the right shoulder. When rough or soft shoulders are encountered, this can be dangerous. Accordingly, there is a need to provide a means for increasing the driving accuracy of large vehicles in order to reduce the potential for highway accidents. It is the primary goal of the present invention to meet this need.
The prior art includes a large number of feeler fingers and vertical rods designed to be fastened to bumpers and fenders. They were designed to let the driver know when the vehicle struck or was about to strike something but were not much help in warning the operator of danger before it happened.
Still further, many motor vehicles are constructed to assume a low bonnet height in order to improve design features and aerodynamic characteristics of the vehicles. In such motor cars, the fore end of the vehicle i.e., fore end of the bonnet) can hardly been seen, or can not be seen at all, from the driver's seat; on narrow streets and parking lots, however, there arises a need for the vehicle driver to accurately recognize a fore end position of the vehicle.
Some known devices include rods or the like mounted on the exterior of the vehicle either to actually sense, or feel, a roadway element to warn the driver of the proximity of the roadway element to the vehicle, or are mounted on the hood or the dashboard and act as sighting devices. All of these physical elements require the driver to move his attention from the road to the device thereby distracting the driver. Thus, such elements have a serious drawback of distracting the driver. Still further, these devices may be difficult or cumbersome to install.
Yet another significant drawback of currently available devices is the inability of such devices to be customized for the particular driver. While most drivers are sized within a certain range, all drivers have specific needs and idiosyncrasies when it comes to their driving, and these needs can vary between different trips. Thus, there is a need for a guidance device which can be customized for the particular needs and desires of each driver, and even for each specific trip.
Furthermore, often once a particular trip has been completed, it is desirable to remove equipment that has been installed for that particular trip so other equipment can be added that is customized for that particular trip. Therefore, there is a need for an indicator device that can be easily installed and also easily taken down. Prior devices do not meet this requirement.
Therefore, there is a need for a new and improved driving aid to assist the driver of the vehicle to maintain the proper or desired position of the vehicle in the lane for safety purposes without distracting the driver's attention from the roadway and which can be customized for a particular driver and even for a particular trip. A vehicle thus equipped is more likely to maintain a desired position relative to the roadway. The equipment and its installation should be inexpensive and easy to install and remove.